Master modern HTML and CSS in this comprehensive course that takes you from the fundamentals to advanced techniques, including responsive design, animations, PostCSS, and Tailwind CSS. Learn best practices, browser compatibility, and performance optimization to build clean, scalable, and visually appealing web pages.

What you will learn:

• Structure pages using modern HTML and semantic elements with a focus on SEO and accessibility.
• Build responsive designs with CSS media queries, modern units, and the mobile-first approach.
• Master layout techniques using the CSS Box Model, Flexbox, and CSS Grid.
• Create stunning animations and transitions with modern CSS techniques.
• Optimize and extend CSS using PostCSS and its plugin ecosystem.
• Learn Tailwind CSS for utility-first styling and efficient design workflows.
• Apply best practices for consistent styling, performance optimization, and browser compatibility.

Students don't need prior experience with older versions of HTML4 or CSS, it is however helpful to have some experience with these languages.

After this course, you will be fully equipped to:

• create modern HTML5/CSS websites (for mobile, tablets, desktop and televisions)
• Make Responsive websites
• Make use of popular tools and frameworks
• Structure web pages using the Flex Model and CSS Grid
• Use advanced CSS3 techniques (media queries, animations)
• Use advanced techniques such as drag and drop, Geolocation, canvas and offline storage

HTML

This session provides a fast-paced overview of modern HTML, including best practices for structure, performance, and SEO. While the focus of this course is on advanced CSS and design, you will apply and integrate HTML elements as you progress through subsequent lessons on styling and layout.

• Understand the fundamentals of modern HTML.
• Explore the history of HTML: from XHTML and HTML5 to the current HTML Living Standard .
• Learn about the roles of W3C and WHATWG in defining and maintaining HTML standards.
• Structure documents using semantic elements for accessibility and SEO.
• Create and optimize forms with accessibility and validation.
• Integrate media elements (audio, video, and responsive embeds).

Meta Tags and SEO

• Use modern meta tags to optimize content for SEO.
• Configure the viewport meta tag for responsive design.
• Implement Open Graph tags for improved sharing on social media platforms (e.g., Facebook).
• Use X/Twitter Card meta tags to customize content previews on Twitter.
• Use tools like Meta Tag Generators for faster tag creation.
• Integrate Schema Markup (JSON-LD) for structured data and rich search results.
• Validate SEO and performance using Google Lighthouse.
• Debug and test meta tags using tools like Facebook Sharing Debugger and X/Twitter Card Validator.

Tools

• Apply best practices for HTML performance and maintainability.
• Use tools like Emmet for faster HTML development.
• Test HTML across browsers, devices, and platforms.
• Learn basic performance optimization techniques (e.g., resource loading, lazy loading).

CSS

CSS Basics

• Understand the formal syntax of CSS rules (selectors, properties, values).
• Use CSS selectors: basic selectors, combinators, and advanced selectors.
• Work with pseudo-classes (e.g., :hover, :nth-child) and pseudo-elements (e.g., ::before, ::after).
• Explore the CSS hierarchy: specificity, inheritance, and the cascade.

CSS Measurements and Units

• Learn different measurement units: absolute (px) and relative units (%, em, rem, vh, vw).
• Work with colors using named values, hex codes, RGB(A), and HSL(A).
• Use special CSS values: inherit, initial, and unset.

CSS Media Queries and Responsive Design

• Apply media queries for responsive designs.
• Use breakpoints to adapt layouts to various screen sizes.
• Design with a mobile-first approach and progressive enhancement.
• Understand responsive units (e.g., viewport units vh, vw, vmin, vmax).
• Work with responsive images and fluid content.

CSS Box Model

• Understand the box model: content, padding, borders, and margins.
• Use box-sizing to control box dimensions.
• Explore techniques for managing spacing and alignment using the box model.

CSS Positioning and Layout

• Use CSS positioning: static, relative, absolute, fixed, and sticky.
• Control z-index for layering content.
• Learn Flexbox for one-dimensional layout and alignment.
• Use CSS Grid for two-dimensional layout control.
• Compare Flexbox and Grid for building modern, responsive layouts.
• Center elements using common techniques (Flexbox, Grid, margin auto).

CSS Animations and Transitions

• Use CSS transitions to animate changes in properties.
• Create keyframe animations for more complex, custom animations.
• Apply timing functions (ease, linear, cubic-bezier).
• Control animation playback with animation delays, iterations, and direction.
• Use hover effects and interactive animations for better UX.

Common Techniques and Best Practices

• Use common techniques to center divs and align content.
• Apply best practices for consistent sizing and spacing.
• Understand the importance of reset styles and normalize.css.
• Use variables (CSS custom properties) for maintainable and consistent designs.
• Implement responsive typography using modern units.

PostCSS and Tailwind CSS

Introduction to PostCSS

• Introduce PostCSS as a CSS processing tool.
• Understand the role of PostCSS in modern CSS workflows.
• Use Browserslist to target browser support.
• Apply PostCSS plugins to write modern CSS while ensuring compatibility.
• Use plugins for autoprefixing (e.g., Autoprefixer) to add vendor prefixes.
• Manage CSS hierarchies and nesting with plugins (e.g., postcss-nested).
• Optimize CSS with plugins for minification and removing unused styles.

Introduction to Tailwind CSS

• Understand Tailwind CSS and the utility-first design approach.
• Compare Tailwind with traditional CSS and other methodologies (e.g., Bootstrap).
• Install and configure Tailwind CSS in a project.
• Set up Tailwind alongside other frameworks like Bootstrap or custom CSS.
• Customize Tailwind configuration using the tailwind.config.js file.
• Explore variants, responsive utilities, and global styles.
• Use the JIT (Just-In-Time) compiler for optimized, faster builds.

Using Tailwind CSS

• Style components using Tailwind’s utility classes.
• Use responsive utilities to adapt designs for various screen sizes.
• Apply variants for hover, focus, and other state-based styles.
• Create and manage custom themes with Tailwind’s configuration.
• Apply best practices for clean, maintainable Tailwind code.